Snake Godess
by Korali
Summary: Romance and mythology post V book story.It is a story about the secret, mytholigical and feminine part the snake.


Korali: Snake Godess I.

**I. THE GREEN SPHERE**

When he started on his way he saw great and grey woolly clouds on the sky, but on these side roads of London he has already met with heavy snowfall. Even professor Severus Snape himself did not know why he said yes to his aunt's invitation for Christmas Eve. Maybe because he hasn't seen her for such a long time and she was his only relative who was still alive; maybe because he was tired of the Hogwarts Christmases, where during the last years Harry Potter was sure to come.

He regarded Christmas as a stupid and sentimental feast of the mugli people, being good only for children.

'That's the last straw' he grumbled to himself and turned up his collar in the heavy snowfall. But finally he was approaching and before the old house with greyish archway he murmured, almost unconsciously, the gate-opening spell which was not used for such a long time. The gate flew open squeaking and there could be seen the old stairs. He went in the semi-darkness and the wooden flight of stairs wailed after almost every step.

'It is you, my boy?' asked a voice, but its owner could not be seen yet. 'But what I am speaking about? It is obvious that only you can be here since the gate-opening spell can be broken only by a kinsman.'

Snape entered the room, where he met the smell of the seemingly long-forgotten vanilla cakes. A hand pulled back the heavy velvet curtain and the man's illusion was perfectly realised: the brilliantly illuminated room was just like in his childhood. He saw soft-springy carpets and heavy curtains everywhere, on the bountiful table there were branched silver candlesticks which radiated light on the crystal glasses and from their gilt frame the portraits in oil glanced out with pained expression.

And yes, the large room was adorned with a Christmas tree while for a moment Snape thought his eyes were deceiving him. As if he would have left the room only for a few hours, the Christmas tree, with many decorations and millions of candles, was just like in the old times and it reached to the ceiling.

Finally his Aunt's voice startled him.

'You don't say, my boy, you hasn't changed a bit. You are still pale, your hair is still unkempt and you wear black clothes just in the same way!'

The professor's face relaxed into a smile and came nearer.

'Good evening, aunt Maya! You hasn't changed either!' and he looked at the old lady. The hair of the lady, who was rather lanky, was just like the new-fallen snow, but her black eyes were rather bright when she looked upon him.

'Now, sit down, my boy. Well, if I had not invited you, you wouldn't have come here for years. I am sure, if I had not written about the surprise I had prepared for you, you still would not have come this way. But I made you curious, didn't I?'

'Now, let's see the surprise' the man smiled and went closer to the Christmas tree. 'Though' he added almost in a whisper '_this_ is itself a surprise as well since I wouldn't have guessed that aunt Maya still…because there are no children here since such a long time.'

'That's true, you were children long time ago. And you, my boy, Severus, you left your childhood so early… But this is not a marvel if one knows about your parents' early death and the events which happened after that… I really don't know how could you survive… but let's talk about something else' she cut herself off and looked upon Severus.

'I see you like my Christmas tree very much!' she switched the conversation on to a new subject because the magician gazed at the tree with a straight face; he seemed to be a little bit paler than a few minutes before, but it might be due to the candlelight.

'Well well! Have you still the green sphere?' said the professor a few minutes later.

'Do you remember it?'

'Of course, I remember' and with his black eyes he looked at the sphere.

The sphere was a rather big one, which at first sight did not differ from the others; its edge was decorated with golden strips. Probably its deep green shade of colour made that it stroke the eyes.

He was around six when he realised that parents were those who put the presents under the tree. He might have been very disappointed since aunt Maya took him by the hand and led him in this room, where the Christmas tree was. For the sickly and pale child the decorated and floodlit tree was a real miracle.

'Severus' his aunt whispered 'it is true that we, the grown-ups prepare the presents for you, but I tell you that wonder does exist. And now I'll show you one of them, but you must promise not to reveal this to anyone else. Do you promise me?'

'Yes' whispered the little boy looking at his aunt's great black eyes.

'Look at this sphere! It's a magic one.'

'And what is it for?'

'For many things. First of all: you will see in it the things you wish to and you can travel in time with it…'

The six-year-old boy looked into the sphere and he saw a sunlit garden and his mother stepped out of the house with a smile on her face while in her hands she was holding a platter with cakes. Through the gate a group of children burst into the garden making a hullabaloo; they called him to go to play with them and he joined them happily.

Then another scene: it was a peaceful late afternoon, so much peaceful as never in his parents' house. A voice from the garden called him:

'Sev! Come, I am waiting for you.'

A slim figure of a girl with dark hair stood under the shade of the old tree and her bright, slightly sloped eyes shone in her face.

'Stella, Stella has arrived!'

But the scenes disappeared as swiftly as they appeared and he stood before the Christmas tree while he was listening to the sizzling of the wax-candles and he was looking at the colours that swirled in the sphere… For a moment he didn't know whether he lived over again a memory or he had a dream… And in that moment he heard somebody whispering:

'Sev! I am here, don't you hear I am calling you?'

Snapeclosed his eyes and shook his head to break the spell, but he heard again the familiar voice.

'Severus! Perhaps you are dreaming!'

The man swung round so quickly that the swish of his robe made some candle blow out. On the threshold stood a slim creature with dark hair and bright eyes.

Snape hasn't known yet if it was a dream or not, but it was sure that this Christmas Eve fulfilled his secret dream, which he did not dare to reveal even to himself.


End file.
